


Exile

by newyork_institute



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Cody makes it out of the Empire, Fuck the Empire, Hurt CC-2224 | Cody, Hurt CT-7567 | Rex, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Post-Order 66 (Star Wars), Siblings CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, fuck palpatine, i think ive seen this film before and i didnt like the ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:33:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28230198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newyork_institute/pseuds/newyork_institute
Summary: Three years after the rise of the Empire and the loss of everything he's ever known, Rex manages to find Cody and bring him home
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi/CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 13
Kudos: 98





	1. Chapter 1

Finding Cody was a miracle. He was on a backwater planet in the Outer Rim, bruised and beaten and barely hanging on, but they found him. Rex found him, and that’s all that mattered. 

The surgery to remove his chip was... _complicated_ , but it was out, and he was on the mend. Physically, he was fine, but mentally, accepting what happened and the things he’s done? That was going to take some time, and Rex was ready for it. He would be okay, eventually, and with the state of the galaxy since the end of the Clone Wars, it was all Rex could ask for. 

Cody, his _ori’vode_ , was finally by his side again after three years of being a tool for the Empire. The _ori’vode_ who teased Rex relentlessly for his crush on the 212th’s General. The _ori’vode_ who was the first to figure out Rex had swallowed his pride after the General faked his death to save the Chancellor and told him how much he loved him. The _ori’vode_ who then teased both Rex and his own General when they weren’t as careful as they thought they were. 

Cody, the once Marshal Commander of the GAR, was finally by his side again, and he could finally begin to heal in a way Wolffe and Gregor never could help with. 

But even with Cody back, it only helped heal a small part of him, because the other part of him was somewhere out there in the galaxy, hiding from the Empire. Or, by some Force forsaken will of the galaxy, Rex managed to outlive the General, and he was truly gone, just another victim of the new Sith Empire. 

Rex, who’s seen General Kenobi - _Obi-Wan_ \- shot and bruised and beaten to the point Bones shoved him in a bacta tank just to keep an eye on him, gone before Rex, marching on like the other Jedi. The thought curled bitterly around his heart, turned his stomach sour, and he had to force the familiar burn behind his eyes to go away before he burst. 

Cody awoke on the cot next to Rex with a start, his breathing labored and sweat covering his entire body. Rex looked over at him, watching his chest rise and fall rapidly. Cody, who’s been free of the Empire’s grasp for almost three months now, still couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of someone’s hands in the back of his head, clawing away at the last bit of sanity he had. Rex wished he would talk to him about it, just so he could help in some way other than laying next to him at night when it got bad, but it seemed Cody was still just as stubborn as before, and refused to acknowledge his own pain. 

Tonight, though, seemed to be different. Tonight, Cody looked over at Rex, a defeated look on his face, before he lowered his gaze and spoke, his voice quiet and wavering. “He was shot off a cliff.” 

Dread pooled deep in Rex’s stomach as he sat up to look at his _ori’vode_. Cody glanced up at him again, the look on his face was one of heartbreak. “I know you still hope he’s alive, Rex, but he was shot off a cliff. _I_ ordered him to be shot off a cliff. If the impact of the fall didn’t kill him, then hitting the water at the bottom definitely did.” 

Rex, who felt a tightness forming in the back of his throat, moved to sit next to Cody, who was shaking in a way he hasn’t seen in a long time. Not since the news broke out throughout the entire GAR that General Kenobi was killed by a bounty hunter on Coruscant. But that was a ploy, all part of a larger plan to save the Chancellor. Rex wanted to believe Obi-Wan was still alive. He had to be. How was it fair that Rex survived the end of the war when the most stubborn man in all the galaxy didn’t? 

“Cody, it’s _not_ your fault,” Rex said softly, pushing past the tightness in his throat as he laid a hand on his _ori’vode’s_ shoulder. Cody shook his head at Rex’s words before he looked at him with a wild look in his eyes. 

“We sent probes down there to see if he was still alive. There was no sign of him,” Cody said. His voice was shaking this time, and Rex slid closer, pulling his brother to his chest as a sob was ripped from his throat, leaving Rex with a pain in his chest that was foreign to him. 

Rex wanted to believe his _ori’vode_ more than anything in the world, because then maybe, just _maybe_ , he could finally sleep at night himself, even after all these years. But to believe Obi-Wan was dead was like accepting defeat, letting the Empire win and take away what little fight he had left in him. Cody was alive, even after everything. There was no way Obi-Wan wasn’t either. 

But Rex was suddenly struck with the realization that if he continued his pursuit for Obi-Wan, he would be hurting Cody. Cody, his strong _ori’vode_ , who had no choice but to watch as his General fell to his death on Utapau after he gave the order against his will. Cody, the most loyal man Rex has had the honor of serving next to and knowing him like he knew himself. 

Rex felt tears form in his eyes suddenly, and there was no stopping them as Cody clung to him tighter, bearing his heart and soul without the fear of being shunned. 

_I’ve got you_ , Rex thought, holding Cody tighter. _I’ve got you_. 

*** 

On the other side of the galaxy, a lone Jedi in exile laid awake, staring at the ceiling of his small home, his own tears running down the sides of his face as he thought of what _could_ have been. What he _could_ have been if things turned out differently. 

_There is no amount of crying I can do for you_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years after the end of the war and the rise of the Empire, Obi-Wan is a lonely man, left to drift on the desert planet of Tatooine

Tatooine was hot and dry, and it didn’t matter how long he had been living here, Obi-Wan was convinced he would never get used to it. His skin was rough from the constant twin suns always in the sky and darker than what he was used to, making the freckles on his cheeks stand out more than they used to during the war. His hair was starting to grey, something Anakin had always picked on him for throughout the war, but he didn’t seem to mind. What he _minded_ was the blasted sun beating down on his neck as he stood outside. 

Four years on Tatooine, and not a day went by where Obi-Wan didn’t look up to the suns like they personally wronged him, and today was no different. He was low on supplies and needed to head Mos Eisley today before he ran out. The last time that happened, a sandstorm hit and he couldn’t leave the small house he called his own for at least two full rotations, leaving him with a portion bar and a small cup of tea he drank after tossing in bed for another sleepless night. 

Sleep was a foreign concept to Obi-Wan since arriving here on Tatooine. It’s not that he got too hot at night, because, even if the planet was one giant desert, it got pretty cold at night. And it’s not that he heard weird sounds in the middle of the night that left him on edge (he’d prefer that, actually), it was that he just _couldn’t_ sleep. Four years on Tatooine, and not a day went by where he didn’t think about what happened, how everything ended. 

Ahsoka, so young and full of potential, heading to Mandalore to bring down Maul once and for all. 

Anakin, looking up at him on Mustafar with nothing but hatred in his eyes as he screamed his hatred at him. 

Padmé, giving birth to the twins, who were both so bright in the Force, her last words claiming there was still good in Anakin. 

Cody, handing him back his lightsaber with that smirk on his face he always gave him right before he ordered him to be shot down. 

(Obi-Wan knew it wasn’t his fault. The chip in his head told him to do it.) 

And Rex, pulling him into that small closet and kissing him hard and deep, his touch lingering on Obi-Wan’s skin for days. 

The memories of everything left Obi-Wan, once the Negotiator of the Republic, struggling to breathe in the middle of the night, the thoughts and memories choking him and leaving him with nothing. He had a family once. A brother in Anakin and Cody, a sister in Ahsoka and Padmé, and a lover and best friend in Rex. Now he was completely and utterly _alone_. 

As the twin suns rose higher in the sky, Obi-Wan made his way to Mos Eisley. He thought of everything he needed to get so he didn’t have to venture out for a while, and he tried to remember if today was the day that spice trader came to town. He was used to the plain, sand tasting food he had no choice but to eat, but once in a while, he managed to luck out and enter Mos Eisley just before the trader left, and Obi-Wan was always able to get several spices for a fair price. All he had to do was listen to the man ramble about his business and colleagues and the taxation of the Empire before the man gave him what he wanted for a few credits. 

Today was one of those days. After entering Mos Eisley, he got the things he needed before heading to where the spice trader was packing up his things. He looked up when Obi-Wan stopped in front of him, a massive smile blooming on his face. “Ben!” 

“Hello there.” Obi-Wan offered the spice trader a faint smile as he offered him a seat by some of his spice crates, and Obi-Wan took it with ease, falling into the familiar rhythm of listening to the man talk about his business. 

As he listened, Obi-Wan suddenly thought of Dex, his old friend. He wondered what he was up to, and if he believed what _Emperor_ Palpatine told everyone about the Jedi; how they were traitors to the now dead Republic, and were trying to undermine him and take his power. It was another person he would never hear from or see again. Another name he placed on his list of people he’s failed. 

He failed the galaxy as a whole, not just a list of names from the people who used to rely on him. He didn’t know where it all went wrong. He didn’t know why he didn’t pick up on Anakin’s anger and pain sooner. He knew deceiving Anakin by faking his death factored in, but he never wanted to talk about it, Anakin didn’t, and everytime it was brought up, he would get this look in his eyes that told Obi-Wan to drop it. 

And Ahsoka leaving; the Order losing faith in her, when she was so clearly innocent. That played a part in it, too. Obi-Wan knew it. Anakin was never the same after Ahsoka left. Obi-Wan didn’t know how to help him through that, what words to say to make him feel better or what actions he needed to do to prove to Anakin not everyone in his life was going to leave him. 

But the death of his mother, that was the start of it. Anakin was never the same after he held his mother while she died. Obi-Wan didn’t know all the details to what happened right here on Tatooine before the war started, but there was a constant anger in his chest and burning in his eyes that should have caused him to pay more attention. 

All the signs were right there, in front of Obi-Wan, and what did he do? _Nothing_. Maybe because he didn’t have the greatest Master in the Order, who, whenever Obi-Wan voiced his concerns about something, told him he needed to focus on the Living Force. The here and now. 

But that wasn’t an excuse. He should have done more, fought harder, been more open with his former Padawan so he could be open with him. The spicer drew Obi-Wan’s attention back to the hear and now, letting the thoughts in his mind sit on the back burner as the spicer smiled brightly down at the sun-burnt man with skeletons in his closet. 

“Hey, I almost forgot to tell you,” the spicer said, motioning Obi-Wan to follow him as he walked to one of his crates sitting in the back. Obi-Wan looked around before following, noting it gave the two more privacy, and the slight feeling of dread began to pool in his stomach. “There’s a man looking for you.” 

Ice filled Obi-Wan’s veins at his words. The spicer, a twi’lek, licked his lips before he leaned in closer to Obi-Wan, a seriousness in his eyes Obi-Wan has never seen before. “He didn’t say your name, but I knew exactly who he was asking for.” 

Obi-Wan, for the life of him, couldn’t even _begin_ to fathom who was looking for him. Everyone he knew was dead or assumed he was dead. It was for the best. Thinking he was dead saved the young Skywalker on the moisture farm he was watching over. 

The twi’lek passed Obi-Wan a bag of spices then, and Obi-Wan looked down at his hand, which was shaking slightly. He wasn’t safe here. If whoever was looking for him knew the spicer considered Obi-Wan a friend, then neither of them were safe. 

Obi-Wan nodded his thanks to the spicer, laid down a couple of credits like usual, and made his way out of Mos Eisley. 

*** 

When Obi-Wan reached his home, something felt... _off_. Like there was someone inside, waiting for him. Whoever it was didn’t feel like a threat, but they were closed off in the Force, all the shields they could think of being up, and Obi-Wan took in a deep breath before he grabbed his bag and the blaster he carried (his lightsaber sat tucked away in a locked chest right next to Anakin’s) before slowly making his way to the front door. 

The person inside felt familiar, almost. But that was impossible because there was no one left for him to be _familiar_ with. Everyone was _gone_. 

He stepped inside, and that voice he always heard in his dreams when he _did_ manage to sleep called to him. “You’re a hard person to find.” 

Obi-Wan froze in the door, his guard slipping away, as he looked at the person sitting at his table. That familiar face has aged since the last time they saw each other, and his hair was still cut straight down to his scalp. A beard lined his face, nothing like Obi-Wan’s own, which needed a good trim, but still there. And those eyes, those bronze eyes that seemed to glow around him that used to promise better days and a life after the war stared directly back at him, albeit hesitant unlike before, and a little sad. 

_Rex_. 

He smiled ruefully at Obi-Wan, who felt his heart stop in his chest. This wasn’t possible. There was no way that could be Rex sitting at his table. He was... _gone_. 

“I knew you couldn’t be dead,” Rex said, his voice soft yet so full of emotion as he stood from the table, slowly inching his way towards the man who lost everything. “You’re too stubborn for that.” 

A thousand words sat between them as Rex finally stopped in front of Obi-Wan, looking down at him like he was a man who lay adrift in the ocean and finally found an island that promised safety. Obi-Wan felt his words freeze in his throat at the look. 

Rex pulled the bag and blaster lightly from Obi-Wan’s hands, carefully setting them aside. He watched for a reaction as he tentatively lifted his hand and placed it softly on Obi-Wan’s cheek. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath he didn’t know he’d been holding before he instinctively leaned into the touch, letting his body list forward. Rex met him halfway and pressed his forehead on Obi-Wan’s. 

“You’re alive,” Rex breathed, cupping Obi-Wan’s other cheek with his free hand when he realized Obi-Wan wasn’t going to push him away. Obi-Wan reached forward and clung to him his hands fisting Rex’s shirt and pulling him closer as he felt tears form in his eyes. “ _Ner jetii_ , you’re alive.” 

A sob so foul and grief-stricken ripped its way out of Obi-Wan’s throat, and Rex didn’t even hesitate to pull Obi-Wan forward and wrap his arms tightly around the broken man. At the added contact, Obi-Wan only let out another gutwrenching sob when he realized this was _real_. That Rex was _here_ and he _survived_ and that Obi-Wan wasn’t _alone_ anymore. 

A kiss was pressed into Obi-Wan’s hair as he clung tightly to Rex, his own tears sliding down his cheeks as he held Obi-Wan after _four years_ of not knowing. By some miracle, or by the will of the Force (Rex didn’t care which one) they both survived the end of the war, and Rex finally found him. 

They had a lot to talk about, they both knew that. How the other survived the end of the war, what they’ve done in that time, ask if anyone else they know is alive, but that could all wait until later. Right now, Rex was going to hold his _jetii_ for as long as he could, because now he could. 

“ _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rex stays on tatooine with obi-wan and doesn't tell anyone he's alive except for cody, who clings to obi-wan once he sees him again, glad he's alive. there's a lot of tears
> 
> _Ner jetii_ \- my jedi  
>  _jetii_ \- jedi  
>  _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_ \- I love you

**Author's Note:**

>  _ori'vod_ \- older brother
> 
> loosely based on the song exile by taylor swift and bon iver


End file.
